The present invention relates to food compositions which contain a food gel component and their preparation and particularly to gelled compositions which contain a fruit phase, more particularly fruit pieces, and to combining component ingredients to thicken, gel and stabilize the compositions.
It is already known to prepare a gelled dessert with juice and chunks. U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,810 concerns an aqueous dessert gel containing as gelling agents a combination of four polysaccharides, such as calcium sensitive low-methoxy pectin, locust bean gum, a potassium-sensitive carrageenan and a calcium-sensitive carrageenan. However, the complicated composition of thickener, the unsolved degradation of some of the thickeners during heat-treatment and the known reduction of thickening at elevated temperatures makes this system not useful in manufacturing practice. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,658,556 and 4,752,489 concern a process for preparing a gelled composition containing a homogeneous distribution of fruit pieces, said composition containing as gelling agents locust bean gum and carrageenan. In the process, the containers are rotated during sterilisation and cooled down to the setting temperature. The process requires a special handling which can be done only with canned products, but is not useful for cup filled desserts. Additionally, the movement during gel setting or just before induces uncontrollable variability of the gel texture.